1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and apparatuses for geobaric analysis. Particularly, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatuses for estimating a formation pressure from a drilling fluid characteristic.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often desirable to acquire a formation pressure when drilling into a formation and/or recovering fluids therefrom. For example, if the circulating pressure associated with a drilling fluid is sufficiently higher than the formation pressure, and the formation is permeable enough to receive the drilling fluid, loss may occur and fluids associated with the drilling fluid may flow into the formation. If circulating pressure is sufficiently lower than formation pressure, and the formation is permeable enough to produce fluids, undesirable fluid inflow may occur. To monitor formation pressure, downhole instruments are typically employed for direct measurement. Unfortunately, downhole instruments are time-consuming to operate and often interfere with drilling, thereby preventing formation pressure from being easily monitored while drilling.